First Look at the Fractal Audio AX8 from Gear Gods

To add to this, if you can have two drive blocks, you actually have four different drives if you use x/y. A great feature that really makes the FX8 work for me.
 
That's awesome to see it DOES have the same layout grid... and some enhanced footswitch capability... 512 Presets, 512 Cabs... Holy Moly, this thing keeps getting better and better !
 
It's sad that that sounds better through my phone than any helix vid I've heard so far, no matter what I listened through. I could even hear little organic details in the gain. Crazy. I love my Axe-FX.


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BrainalLeakage said:
It's sad that that sounds better through my phone than any helix vid I've heard so far, no matter what I listened through. I could even hear little organic details in the gain. Crazy. I love my Axe-FX.


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lol... and this post just shows how people judge sound quality on the interwebz... here we have a clip, no direct recording, youtube, lotsa gain + delay... and voila, thats definitely better than helix (where everyone wanted scientifically recorded, absolute dry amp sounds, analyzing them on their highend studio speakers)
It's entertaining and sad at the same time reading those forums ;)
 
I think you guys are misinterpreting my point.

It's sad because it seems Line 6 can't make a good sounding clip of the Helix, but here we have the AX8 sounding great without trying.

Every Helix video I've heard so far sounds flat, or just badly tweaked, like a stomp box run into a SS amp. I don't know if this is just what it sounds like, or if it's just poor patch design, but it defiantly reminds me of my experience with Line 6. You could get it to sound good, but the sweet spot was so very small that it was very difficult.

Then we have an AX8 video just recorded in the room, and I'm listening to it on my phone, and I can hear depth, and layers, it's far from being flat.

And at $100 less.

Basically, it's sad that the self proclaimed "leader in modeling" can't seem make a good sounding video, or recording. Honestly, I don't ever remember a Line 6 video, or audio clip sounding good.


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BrainalLeakage said:
I think you guys are misinterpreting my point.

It's sad because it seems Line 6 can't make a good sounding clip of the Helix, but here we have the AX8 sounding great without trying.

Every Helix video I've heard so far sounds flat, or just badly tweaked, like a stomp box run into a SS amp. I don't know if this is just what it sounds like, or if it's just poor patch design, but it defiantly reminds me of my experience with Line 6. You could get it to sound good, but the sweet spot was so very small that it was very difficult.

Then we have an AX8 video just recorded in the room, and I'm listening to it on my phone, and I can hear depth, and layers, it's far from being flat.

And at $100 less.

Basically, it's sad that the self proclaimed "leader in modeling" can't seem make a good sounding video, or recording. Honestly, I don't ever remember a Line 6 video, or audio clip sounding good.


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Thanks for reminding me of this. I canceled my Helix preorder the other day when the ax8 price was announced. I think I made the right descision.

I agree that all the Helix clips ive heard sound digital and have that Line 6 signature sound. In all the axe fx clips I've heard, all the amps sound good without tweaking and very amp like.

I know everyone's been saying that they haven't had the Helix long enough to know how to tweak it properly, but the with quantum, the axe models sound good without any tweaking.
 
I wonder how soon we get to see full specs. anxious to see exactly which fx blox it has
 
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I finally arrived home and watched the video. Sincerely, I don't know how someone can make a decision based on that video's sound...
 
FractalAudio said:
The AX-8's sent to the show had no presets in them. We built the ones in the videos on-the-fly during the show. Pretty much everything at default, some minor B/M/T.
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And this just adds to my point.

I've owned Line 6, and I know you can get a good tone out of, even a pod, but it's lots, and lots of very difficult work to get there. Line 6 has never had a good out of the box tone.

With my Axe, if I tweak, it's not because what I have doesn't sound good, it's because I'm either being picky, or I'm nailing down a mix. I can pull up any amp I've never used in the Axe, right now, reset the block, and enjoy it without tweaking one parameter. It's totally doable. If I actually tweak it, I'd hit the sweet spot in a few seconds.

I had my Vetta for just over 5 years, and maybe hit the sweet spot a hand full of times.


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And having Cooper on guitar can't hurt...

It's funny reading some of the posts about AX8 limitations. With Line 6, the only way they can go is up. The AX8 is a step down in class and we are commiserating about things nobody else can do but Fractal, despite the AX8 being the class of its price range - not a fair fight IMO. We are all spoiled by our rack units. I admit, it's hard to give up and "move down" to a unit that can't do anything the mind can conceive.

But a great demo. I can't help but think of the possibilities, but right now it's as a backup since I'm not sure I'm ready to be weaned off the ultimate. And a very deluxe, entitled backup it will be!
 
And in fact, there are some features that are a move up from the Axe FX II/MFC.

Wildwind said:
And having Cooper on guitar can't hurt...

It's funny reading some of the posts about AX8 limitations. With Line 6, the only way they can go is up. The AX8 is a step down in class and we are commiserating about things nobody else can do but Fractal, despite the AX8 being the class of its price range - not a fair fight IMO. We are all spoiled by our rack units. I admit, it's hard to give up and "move down" to a unit that can't do anything the mind can conceive.

But a great demo. I can't help but think of the possibilities, but right now it's as a backup since I'm not sure I'm ready to be weaned off the ultimate. And a very deluxe, entitled backup it will be!
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BrainalLeakage said:
And at $100 less.
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Who is going to buy an AX8 Floor unit and not buy an Expression pedal or two? I'd call them priced the same so price not an issue either way [though Line6maha will sell a ton of the Helix units via easy short term financing at the on-line retailers from people who would rather buy the AX8 but can't budget the +/- $1500 incl an expression pedal in one bite.]

As far as Helix goes I have not liked the "low end" tone on most or all of their demos whether "metal" or other genre. Very inarticulate, sloppy in the lower registers to my ears so far.

I think we can expect an improved display somewhere down the road from FAS on all their products. Given the editing software via computer FAS offers now, the display is the least of my concerns. Even with the improvements we can expect via Yamaha's influence and resources I expect FAS support and updates will be more meaningful to end users. I wouldn't want to be kneeling down trying to edit settings in a live situation regardless of how pretty or functional the display is. Buzz kill ha.

Room for an AX8+ with the AXE II XL+ DSP's, multi amp and cab use, headphone jack, expanded I/O? It seems the size would not be much different?

I'm thinking right now...

1. How much will Cab IR's help the Helix?
[I am going for the FAS products at this point. Though I will use the Dunlop EP for its ability to reverse the heel-toe on the wah]

2. I still think the FAS Axe rack unit may be the better deal for me overall. I can't budget for BOTH the AX8 and Axe II XL+ and MFC-101. And if an Axe Fx III is not too far off I know I can still get top resale money for the Axe II XL+
 
HaloHat said:
Who is going to buy an AX8 Floor unit and not buy an Expression pedal or two?
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I have had at least one exp pedal in my gear box since like 96, and I usually find I don't like built in exp pedals, so even if I was in the market for another modeler, built in or not, I'd have that covered.


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HaloHat said:
Who is going to buy an AX8 Floor unit and not buy an Expression pedal or two?
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me, because i own a few expression pedals already :)

the Axe-Fx II XL+ (or any of the hardware versions really) is an amazing unit with a lot of power for amazing tone and usability. features like USB recording and reamping, all the I/O and generous amounts of CPU allow you to do a lot.

the AX8 will be a killer unit for the gigging professional whether touring around the world for clinics and shows, or just gigging nightly at local clubs and venues. it was designed with features most needed for live performance to keep the price range attainable for most working musicians.

it's really unfair to judge the AX8 right now because we don't know all its features since no one has one yet. but for most people, sound/tone is paramount, and with what we know about the Axe-Fx II, we probably have nothing to worry about and everything to be excited about for the AX8.
 
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